//------------------------------// // Season 1, Chapter 16: The more you know pt.1 // Story: Armor Fillies // by MarkTheWolfpony //------------------------------// Candace began to get ready for bed after a long day of boring work. As she entered her room, she noticed that Shining Armor was already in bed. She couldn’t help but smile. As she got into cover with her husband, she started to notice something different about him. “Shining honey?” She shook him a bit. “Is there something wrong?” As he turned around and opened his eyes, it’s not what she expected. A flash of green light shines bright through the door, with Cadence letting out a bloodcurdling scream. _______________ In front of the temple, a bright light appears. Once it dimmed down, Imp and the CMC appeared once more. “Ugh…” Scootaloo rubbed her face. “Is there really no other way to get here!?” She shouted in agony. Imp couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh you’ll get use to it.” He ran ahead. “Now come on! We are late for our mission briefing.” “Alright!” Applebloom jumped for excitement. “Time to show how the apple family deals with trouble.” She ran ahead with the two soon following. Once they got inside of the temple, Faust and Skiss happily awaited them. “Its good to see ya again.” Skiss gave them a warm welcome. “Alright my young fillies time to head to the mission room,” Faust stated. The group followed Skiss and Faust to another hallway just like the last one. Once they reached the end, they were greeted with a light brown colt with a yellow main and a cutie mark of a staff with sparkles on it. He noticed Faust and gave her the proper greeting. “Ah miss Faust I’m glad to see you,” He bowed down. “Hey what did I tell you. I don’t want that kind of treatment Kendo,” She smiled. He quickly got up. “My apologies,” “Well can you open the door for us,” She kindly ask. Kendo stomped on his hooves loud enough for the door to open. Once inside, they are greeted with a military esc room like the ones they see in space movies. With seat going around in a circle formation and a monitor in the middle. Everything looked like its far from advance tech that ponies have. The CMC couldn’t help but be impressed on what they saw. “Wow its like we are in a future or something?” Applebloom said with excitement. “Atten hut!” A voice caught the CMC by surprise. The pony that surprised them happens to be a pink female pegasus with a slick skinny body, white mane and tail along with a cutie mark of a sergeant hat. She took a quick look of the three new recruits before she turned around. “Welcome my new solders! My name is Drill and I’ll be the pony who will give you a brief on the mission you take.” “Drill...Really?” Scootaloo couldn’t accept her name. “That sounded a bit more of a boys name doesn’t it?” Drill didn’t take it kindly. “Now you listen here Missy! I already dealt crap like this before from stallions and colts. I do not like it when fillies and mares question my name!?” Scootaloo’s face started to get pale. “Ehhh…” She froze for a second. “I’m sorry?” Drill couldn’t help but roll her eyes in annoyance. “I think its a cool name,” Sweetie Belle complemented her. Drill couldn’t help but smile. “Way to get on my get side,” Sweetie Belle was happy but when she turned to Scootaloo, she was very annoyed. Drill headed to the steps to get to the middle of the room. “Well why don’t you four take a seat?” “I’ll leave this to you ok.” Faust left the mission room. The four headed down and took the second row of seats on the left. Then a hologram came from the center of the room. Drill flew up next to the hologram and began her briefing. “Atten hut!” She shouted to get the rest’s attention. “Now, during the past few days, the crystal empire has been having some weird activity. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have been acting strange about 6 days ago. They never come out of their castle and they ordered groups of their citizens to start wearing a kind of necklace made out of shark teeth. Since then, the entire city has being repeating the same actions day after day. We sent two fillies to investigate it but they haven’t contacted us since they got there. Your job is to rescue them and find out whatever is happening in the crystal empire. “ “Yes mam!” Imp gave the solute once she was done. Scootaloo’s face dropped a frown. “Wait that means we are gonna teleport again?” Drill smiled devilishly. “Oh don’t worry. I got another way for you to get there." Scootaloo smiled for joy. “Then take us there!” ______________ A turtle walked just a few feet from the crystal empire entrance. As he got a little closer, he heard something. He took a look up and saw 4 fillies falling fast to his direction. Panicly he tried to get away but it was too late. The crash launched the turtle over the empire. “Well you have to ask don’t you Scootaloo?” Applebloom was annoyed. “Hey I didn’t know she was gonna use a cannon!” Scootaloo shouted in anger. Imp shook his head to get back on focus. “Hey we don’t time to argue here! We have to focus on our mission now.” Applebloom couldn’t help but jump for joy. “Alright!” She hoof punched the air around her. “Lets go and take out these bad ponies who are messing with the lives of the crystal ponies.” She charged into the entrance of the crystal empire. But Imp launched his yo-yos and pulled her back, which she did not take kindly to.. “Hey! Why in tarnation you did that for!” She yelled at him. Imp grabbed the nearest rock and launched it on the ground of the empire. Suddenly the two pillars next to the path began to glow green. They charged up a ball of green light and launch a powerful beam that incinerated the rock in one shot. Applebloom dropped her jaw as her face got paler. “That is why you need to think before you charge!” Imp scolded Applebloom for her actions. Applebloom couldn’t even process what she just witnessed. “Great!” Sweetie Belle pouted. “What are we gonna do now?” Imp took a look around and spotted a carriage that was coming to the crystal empire. “I think know what to do,” he smiled. ______________ In the midst of the fields, two crystal guards carried a wagon full of goods. As they reached their destination, the four prepared to make a jump. “Ok….now!” He whispered the command and sure enough, all of them made it into the carriage of supplies. They kept quiet in order to not let the guards notice they were there. As the carriage passed by the pillars, they made it around the perimeters of the empire. The CMC couldn’t help but be amazed at seeing how beautiful it looked. “Ok guys stop sightseeing we need to drop off,” Imp ordered. The four quickly dropped off the carriage and headed to the nearest alley before they became spotted. Applebloom rubbed her mane. “Well we are here and I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.” “Ya,” Scootaloo agreed. “Seems like any normal day,” “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Imp didn’t see the same way as Applebloom stated it. “I mean take a look those ponies over there.” Imp pointed his hoof at fruit stand where some activity was going by. The three took a look and they didn’t notice anything from just the fruit exchange. That was until they saw the ponies eyes glowing green. “What is wrong with their eyes?” Sweetie Belle asked in as a shiver went down her spine.. “I don’t know but it might have something to do with those necklaces,” Imp pointed out. “Alright we are gonna have too-” “Look out!” Applebloom pushed him out of an incoming blast of green energy, she ended up taking it in his place. It knocked her flat on the alley wall. “Applebloom!” Imp shouted worriedly. “Where did that come from!?” Scootaloo looked at where the blast had come from and it happened to be a set of changelings heading their way. “Ummm how did changelings get into the crystal empire?” Sweetie stared in shock. “My sister told me that they were banished from coming here!?” Applebloom struggled to recover and managed to hold herself up for a moment. “Well whatever they doing here, they are gonna see what an apple family member can do!” The four summoned their armor and quickly headed into battle. There were about 7 changelings heading their way and all of them were wearing armor. Imp was the first to attack. He summoned his yo-yo's to strike. But the changelings were a little faster than they seemed. The 7 split formation and began to surround Imp and the CMC. Sweetie Belle began to sing a lullaby but she didn’t get much of a chance do to the incoming blasts the changelings kept firing. Applebloom managed to get a changeling in her path. Summoning a paintbrush in her mouth she spread a long wave of fresh paint at him which managed to cover his eyes. She then proceeded to summon a hammer and deliver a blow. But luck wasn’t on her side as two other changelings blocked the attack while two more helped him get the paint off. Applebloom was now defenseless, got hit with a blast of magic. “Applebloom!” Imp ran towards her and managed to catch her before she hit a wall. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle got surrounded by 5 changelings. The two begin to duke it out as they engaged in hoof to hoof combat. Every punch they made seemed to be blocked every time. They could not keep up with the onslaught of fists and they were taking major damage. “They are too fast!” Sweetie Belle desperately shouted before getting her flank handed to her. Imp quickly got back on his feet but before he could get back on the action, a breeze suddenly came up. “Wait...I know this kind of wind speed!” The changelings suddenly got blown away from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The two were confused until they saw a shadowy figure with armor. The changelings went on the offence but the figure was too fast for them. Every pass the figure made it around the changelings, one became hurt after the other. They had enough of it and tried to blast the figure but was not able to get a shot. Imp took this chance to attack. He rolled himself in between his yo-yo's and headed towards the changelings like a bowling ball. In one single swoop, he knocked them all out flying like they were bowling pins. Only three of them recovered and quickly made their escape. “Dang it!” Imp stomped his hooves. “They got away.” Applebloom got up from her battle. “Well they aint gonna get off that easy!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went and thanked the pony who helped them. “Thank you,” Sweetie Belle greeted him with a proper. The pony walked out of the shadows and every pony got to see what he looked like. But it wasn't a pony that saved them, rather it was a Changeling wearing the same armor as them. The three quickly went on the defense. “You’re not fooling us monster!” Applebloom began to threaten him. Imp quickly got in the way. “Wait!” He shouted. “He is not what you think!” “Oh ya right!” Scootaloo said sarcastically. “Next you’re gonna tell us that thing is a armor fillie.” Imp started to laugh a bit. “Ya about that-” The changeling headed up to them and properly introduced himself. “My name is Nightgale and its a pleasure to meet you,” he bowed his head down. “I heard we got new recruits and I’m glad I get to meet them up front.” The three didn’t speak a word. Imp broke the silence. “Yes. He is an armor fillie himself, believe it or not.” Sweetie Belle was even more confused. “Wait then how does he summon that armor!? I thought you said Ponies with sparkles on their cutie marks could only get armor?” “Ya and from what I have heard, changeling’s can’t get cutie marks,” Nightgale couldn’t help but take offence on what Scootaloo said. “Well to answer your question,” his armor started to come off and collide until it was crumbled up and started to be well round into a bit. The three couldn’t help but be amazed. “This bit right here is how I am able to summon my armor.” Imp intervened before the three could ask questions. “So tell me Nightgale, what is happening here? How come changelings are here around the empire?” Nightgale began to explain. “You see the changelings are at again, trying to gain as much love as possible. With the crystal ponies now under the rule of the princess of love, it wasn’t a matter of time until they caught wind of this. They managed to get through by only one way, underground. Once they got threw, their plans began as they captured the crystal ponies and made them wear the necklaces made from the most dangerous animal’s of the sea, keeping them intact with a charm that Chrysalis put on them.” “So it seems that we are facing another changeling infestation,” Sweetie Belle mentioned. “This is just like what happen at canterlot.” “Only much bigger!” Applebloom added. “Which means that the princess is in much more trouble than we thought!” Nightgale nodded. “Ya they got her and his husband as well. Even my partner got captured.” “Where is your partner?” Imp asked. Nightgale rubbed his chin. “I don’t know if I’m certain but I do believe that she is being held inside of the castle. That is where I saw most ponies heading in to get their necklaces.” Scootaloo summoned her scooter. “Alright then. Lets charge in!” Nightgale didn't see eye to eye with her. “I wouldn't do that. It’s best that we stay hidden and not attract too much attention to ourselves.” “I’m afraid it’s too late for that since three changelings escape d and are probably alerting their allies by now.” Imp thought for a bit on what to do. Nightgale patted him on his neck. “There is one way,” he smiled. ____________________ At the castle, the changelings that managed to escape quickly headed up to the main hallway where the throne was. There they meet up with their changeling in charge of the entire operation. “Commander!” Spoke one of the changelings “Yes?” He responded. “We have a threat that might be proven to make our plans difficult,” Said the other changeling. “Are they like the one we have captured?” He questioned his soldiers. The three nodded their heads. He couldn’t help but feel happy about that. “Well then,” he smirked. “I think its time to give our guests a very loving welcome. Round up the troops and increase security here. I gotta good feeling that we will see them sooner than we expected.” The three exited out of the thrown room to quickly send the message. “Especially when a certain changeling comes in,” he smiled devilishly. __________________ The group being to travel in one of the paths underground. “Ummmm are you sure this is safe?” Sweetie Belle asked with a sweat on her forehead. “Don’t worry about it. Besides the changelings that dig these holes made sure it would not collapse.” Nightgale informed the group. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath. “Which is why we need to quickly get out of here before the changelings notice us taking this path and they try to cause an earthquake to trap us in.” Sweetie Belle’s face started to get paler. With that in mind, she ran ahead of the others. “Ok I think I should take lead here,” she smiled now sweating bullets. “Hey!” Scootaloo and Applebloom shouted, “Don’t leave us here!” The two quickly caught up to Sweetie Belle. Imp couldn't help laugh a little. “Aren't those girls just funny with their friendship.” Nightgale noticed his little facade. “Hey,” he grabbed his attention. “You don’t need to be hard on yourself.” Imp’s smile faded quickly. “Hey I’m not being hard to myself. Besides the past is already behind me by this point,” he quickly caught up with the CMC, leaving Nightgale alone for a moment. “Imp….Why must you be so hard on yourself?” After walking for a while, they soon saw a bright light. The five quickly headed up and moved the glass that was covering it, only to be met with a warm welcome they didn’t expect. Changelings surrounded around the entrance with their horns light up with green magic and some holding spears. “Ummmmm?” Scootaloo smiled now drenched in sweat. They couldn’t do anything at this point so the only option was to surrender. The group was soon taken to the throne hall, where a dark red earth pony stood before them. Wearing a white strap and black bow tie around his neck. He also has a dark brown main and a cutie mark of stars. “Well hello there,” he greeted them with a very devilish looking expression. “I’m very happy to see you.”